At least seven individuals lost their lives and many others are lost after a craft carrying approximately two hundred people trying to get to Europe overturned off the coast of the Gambian coast, authorities say.
The vessel capsized in the early hours of Thursday near Jinack village in the northern bank region and it was later found "stranded on a sandbar", the nation's defense ministry stated in a release.
96 individuals have been rescued so far and a search is continuing for those still missing who were traveling on the sunken boat that was en route to the Canary Islands of Spain.
The dangerous voyage over the Atlantic Ocean has grown into a more frequent path for African asylum seekers trying to reach Europe.
Nearly 47,000 people reached the Canaries in last year and figures suggest over nine thousand individuals perished during the journey.
Rescue Operation
In the aftermath of the disaster, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, deploying a number of military boats and a fishing boat that joined the effort, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate some of the deceased are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The deceased of the seven people who drowned have been retrieved, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and receiving urgent medical care.
A Frequent Pathway
This West African nation is a common pathway used by migrants attempting to enter the EU, typically through hazardous voyages across ocean and terrain.
Over the past few years, the European bloc has forged deals with several North African countries designed to limiting undocumented migration.
